Houki's Rapid Switch
by timberwolf v1
Summary: After an accident during an IS training exercise, how will Ichika and co. deal with a very unHouki-like Houki? Especially a bold, aggressive, and suggestive Houki? Will Ichika's impenetrable wall of denseness be able to hold up against this new threat? Read and find out!
1. Death of Innocence

**~Death of Innocence~**

* * *

Flickering screens and static sounds filled the darkened room as a rather well-endowed green-haired woman sat typing away on a holographic keyboard. The focused expression on her face betrayed her usual, aloof demeanor, but it couldn't hope to rival the one held by the figure standing behind her.

"Find out anything Maya?" asked the figure with a stern, yet feminine voice.

"No. It doesn't appear that anything is out of the ordinary Orimura-sensei." Maya adjusted her spectacles before continuing to type. "Shinonono's Akatsubaki shows no ill effects from the accident earlier today. What do you think Chifuyu...I mean Orimura-sensei?"

Chifuyu pretended not to notice the hand that had quickly clasped itself over her assistant's mouth; instead leaning forward to get a closer look at the data from that day's training session. She furrowed her brow in confusion.

"It doesn't make sense Maya. Hows does Shinonono get injured if her IS was fully functional? Even her shield rating was above fifty percent according to this data." The raven-haired instructor loosened the tie around her neck that matched her form-fitting black suit. It had been a long day, even for her, and if there was anyone who knew a thing or two about long days, it was Chifuyu Orimura.

"Has she woken up yet?" asked Chifuyu, adopting a softer tone of voice.

Maya shook her head sadly. "Not yet."

"Are Ichika and the others still down there?"

"As of an hour ago they were."

Chifuyu pulled out her phone and checked the time. _  
_

_1:57 a.m_.

"Alright well I'm going to go down and check up on her before finishing up some paperwork. I trust you'll notify me of any new developments?"

"Of course sensei! Have a good night!" Maya bowed her head slightly before turning back to the numerous data projections in front of her. Chifuyu allowed a small smile to pierce her features before walking toward the exit.

"Don't stay up too late Maya. Good night."

With the door closed behind her, Chifuyu began to make her way to the infirmary where she suspected she would find a certain someone.

_Ichika...don't you know it's a school night you baka?_

* * *

Ichika yawned loudly before scratching the tuft of dark hair at the back of his head. He looked at the clock on the wall of the infirmary.

_1:58 a.m_

It was definitely getting late and on a school night no less! Ichika shook those thoughts from his head, however, as he looked over at the girl resting peacefully in bed. Closing his eyes for a moment, he tried to recall the incident that had occurred earlier that day. Chifuyu-nee had decided that Class 1 would run solo drills at the end of class. Each student was assigned a different "target" or goal to meet. It sounded harsh, but in reality most of the instructions were fairly straightforward and simple as would be expected at the end of a long day. Houki was the last student to go and her goal was to execute a simple dive maneuver before flattening out and landing safely on her mecha feet.

Something went awry, however, and Houki crashed straight into the training grounds. Ichika's face scrunched up as the vivid memories came flooding back into his mind's eye. Despite the relative safety of IS units, especially in non-combat situations, Houki was found to be unconscious and was rushed to the infirmary for further testing. Flash forward to the present and Ichika was the lone survivor among his sea of friends still standing. All of them came up with flimsy commitments that they needed to tend to, but Ichika saw the worry and exhaustion in their eyes and ushered them off to get some rest. Ichika himself had decided to wait for his first childhood friend to wake up, but even he was getting restless as the hours passed. Sneaking a glance at the clock one last time, Ichika decided it was probably best to get some sleep and began to rise from his seat before a stirring noise caught his attention.

"Houki? Are you awake?" Ichika rushed to the side of his first childhood friend.

"I-Ichika?" Ichika recognized that Houki's voice was weak, but the fact that she was awake and conscious was more than enough to lift his spirits.

"Yes I'm right here, are you alright? How are you feeling?"

"I'm...better...now that you're h-here."

Confused, Ichika was about to ask Houki what she meant by that when all of a sudden she blurted, "Ichika you're so sexy! Come here!"

A red-faced Houki and mouth-agape Ichika stared at each other while the silence continued to envelop the room. After what seemed like an eternity, Ichika was finally able to muster a retort to Houki's exclamation.

"Eh?!"

* * *

**A/n: Hopefully that wasn't too bad, the writing is a little rusty at the moment heh. As always, thanks for reading and reviews, comments, and constructive criticism are more than welcome!**


	2. Opening Pandora's Box

**~Opening Pandora's Box~**

* * *

"Eh!? Houki you must be delirious right now. Please go back to sleep and get some rest... it's been a long day after all." Ichika laughed nervously, turning his head in the other direction. "Well I think it'd be best if I get going now. Good night Hou-" Ichika flinched as he felt Houki's vice-like grip on his wrist.

"Ichika..."

"Y-yes?" Alarm bells began to ring in Ichika's head. The tone of voice that Houki used to utter his name was absolutely dangerous...at least to a post-pubescent 15 year old boy. _Houki is clearly not in the right state of mind...I need to get out of here!__  
_

_"_Ichika-_kun_."

Ichika's head snapped back at Houki's use of the honorific. He instantly regretted falling for the bait. Houki used the momentary lapse in Ichika's focus to pull him towards her, and as their faces drew closer and closer, the normally dense boy saw something in Houki's glazed over eyes that he had never seen before. _What the hell! Don't tell me that's LUST in her eyes? Morally righteous, innocent, good-girl Houki? _Before Ichika could continue his denial of Houki's libido, a sharp voice rang out across the small room.

"Ahem! Am I interrupting something here?"

"Chifuyu-nee!" Ichika was so relieved to see his sister that his body didn't even register the pain from the large textbook that had just clobbered him in the face.

"Even at," Chifuyu stopped to check the time on the clock. "Even at 2 in the morning, I am still to be addressed as Orimura-sensei! Got it?" She glared expectantly at Ichika who simply nodded his head with a goofy grin plastered on his face. She also noticed the fact that he was trying desperately to escape from Houki's undoubtedly strong grasp.

"Shinonono! What do you think you're doing?"

"Oh hello Onee-chan!" Houki turned and smiled happily at the visibly shocked instructor. Ichika could only look on stunned.

"O-o-o-onee?" stuttered Chifuyu, clutching the fabric of her suit with shaking hands.

"Uh Chifuyu-nee?" Ichika legitimately feared for Houki's life and rushed forward to shield her from the wrath of his older sister. "Listen I don't think Houki is-"

"UNACCEPTABLE!" roared Chifuyu as she materialized a thick manuscript. "LITTLE BROTHERS BELONG TO THEIR OLDER SISTERS!"

"Say wha-?"Just as Ichika was about to be decapitated at the hands of his sister, an IS Academy nurse walked in and noticed the unusual scene.

"Oh hello Orimura-sensei, what brings you here at this hour?"

"Just checking up on Shinonono who appears to have waken up." _Like a damn light switch _thought Ichika as he breathed a sigh of relief. He began to move forward before being jerked back toward the bed. He looked back and saw the same dreamy expression plastered on Houki's face, causing him to gulp as his anxiety returned full force.

"Oh! How are you feeling Houki-san?"

"I'm feeling great! What about you Ichika-kun?"

"Uh..." Ichika looked pleadingly to the nurse for help but she ignored him and instead brought a hand to Houki's forehead.

"Well even though you seem a lot better, I think you should get some extra sleep. We can re-evaluate you in the morning okay?"

"No."

"Eh?" The nurse looked at Houki curiously while Ichika began to feel some of the hairs on the back of his head stand up in unison. Chifuyu simply closed her eyes and shook her head.

"I said no," pouted Houki. "I don't want to sleep in the infirmary." Ichika shivered. _I don't have a good feeling about where this is going..._

"Oh. Well you see it'd be better for us if you would stay here we so we can keep an eye on you throughout the night." She offered a friendly smile. "I can get you something from the cafeteria if you're hungry or maybe something to read, but you must stay here and-"

"And besides," interrupted Chifuyu calmly. "Your room isn't available at this time. The Academy supervisors insisted that they tape off your room so that they could collect evidence about the incident today. Your roommate is dorming elsewhere and I'm not going to disturb any more of my students at this hour, got it?"

Houki frowned, tugging on Ichika's wrist even harder.

"Ow!"

"Fine. I'll sleep with Ichika tonight then."

If time would've stopped right then and there, Ichika would've been perfectly alright with that. But alas, it didn't and the consequences of the actions that day were set into motion. The poor, block-headed boy ceased to struggle as he tried to absorb the temerity of Houki's words. The nurse's expression changed from one of quizzical to one of pure, unadulterated horror in the blink of an eye. And while Chifuyu didn't budge an inch, her rapid breathing and flaring nostrils indicated her true feelings on the matter.

"Ah...uh...um..." The nurse, who was now blushing furiously, began to twiddle her fingers as she stumbled over her words. "Well...that's not really...appropriate."

Houki was not convinced. "Why not? I mean Ichika was my roommate at the beginning of the school year. What's the problem now?"

"You know damn well what the problem is Shinonono! I can't believe you would even suggest something like that!" spat Chifuyu in all her rage. Beads of sweat began to roll down Ichika's head as he watched the scene unfolding before him. Trapped in Houki's mandible claw and facing the wrath of his older sister, Ichika did what any sane human being in his situation would do-recite the numbers of pi.

_Let's see, three point one four...oh god don't tell me I forgot already! Crap! Alright that's fine Ichika, let's just count upwards. Yeah! Here we go, one, two, three-_

"ICHIKA!"

"Pi! The answer is pi!" Ichika shook his head, wondering if he had missed something important during his inner monologue.

"Did you hear a word I just said?" Chifuyu gritted her teeth, fuming. "Tell Shinonono the answer is NO!"

Ichika's eyes darted between the demonic visage of Chifuyu and the blush-tinged face of Houki. Panicking he turned to the nurse, hoping that a neutral party would be able to get him out of this mess.

"Ah...um...well we can't legally force Shinonono-san to stay here if she's feeling better." The nurse looked down to avoid Chifuyu's disapproving glare at her response.

Chifuyu sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "You know what, do whatever you want. I've got a mountain of paper work that needs to get done." She turned and headed for the exit, but not before stopping and issuing a stern warning in precise Chifuyu Orimura fashion.

"However, don't blame me when your picking out baby names with Shinonono in 9 months Ichika. Good night."

Ichika sweatdropped as he watched his sister stomp out out of sight. _Leave it to Chifuyu-nee to make a grand exit. _

"Um Ichika-san?" Ichika turned to the nurse who was now blushing herelf. "Do you intend to let Houki-san stay with you tonight?"

Feeling Houki's expectant eyes boring into the back of his skull, Ichika sighed and admitted defeat. "That's fine I suppose. What's the harm in just one night eh?"

Just as Ichika finished his response, Houki leapt out of the bed and caught him in a ferocious bearhug before beaming happily, "Thank you so much Ichika-_kun! _I promise we'll have _lots_ of fun tonight! Come on!" Before the confused boy could utter a retort, Houki had grabbed her small bag of personal belongings and began to drag Ichika out of the infirmary.

"F-fun? But what about sleep!? Ow! Your fingernails are digging into my skin! Help! Somebody help! Chifuyu-neeeeeeee!"

"Um...stay safe you two!" The nurse cried out, blushing furiously at her vivid imagination of what would happen that night between the two IS students.

Somewhere in the distance, a very annoyed Chifuyu sneezed and cracked open a cold can of beer before downing the entire beverage in one big gulp.

* * *

**A/n: That writer's rust sure is tough to get off isn't it? Anywho, I wonder what will happen next to everyone's favorite protagonist? Will he be able to fulfill his desires of getting a good night's rest or will Chifuyu prove to be Nostradamus in her baby names prediction? Stay tuned!**


	3. The Longest Night

**~The Longest Night~**

Ichika paced back and forth in his room like a madman, staring intently at his phone. The sound of running water permeated through the walls, doing nothing to ease his worries. _Come on Dan answer the phone! I know he's not asleep at this hour. No way, not Dan._

"Hello?"

_Yes! _"Dan this is an emergency! I don't know how much time I have left so we have to hurry!" Ichika quickly glanced at the locked door to the dorm room shower before hiding behind his bed on the far side of the room. "It's about Houki! She's been acting very weird ever since she woke up at the infirmary."

"Houki?" Ichika inwardly facepalmed hearing Dan's confused tone of voice. "You mean that girl that was your first childhood friend before me and Rin came along?"

"Damnit Dan this is no time for pointless trivia!"

"Okay, okay sheesh. What's the problem?"

Ichika scooped a spoonful of ice cream that he had snuck out of the cafeteria into his mouth to calm his nerves before answering. "Well for starters she insisted on sleeping with me in my room tonight, which we haven't done since the first week or so of classes." The sound of a crash and loud gagging caused Ichika to pause and look at his phone in confusion. "Er everything alright there Dan?"

"Y-yeah I'm good. But it sounds like you've been doing even better than me eh?" teased Ichika's longtime friend.

"What?"

Ichika thought he heard a sigh on other end of the line. "Never mind. I really fail to see the problem here Ichika."

"Fail to see the prob...WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN FAIL TO SEE THE PROBLEM!" a flabbergasted Ichika screamed into his phone. "Everytime I go to your house and eat dinner with you guys, your sister always asks about Houki. Do you not pay attention?!"

"Uh..." _  
_

_Oh for the love of-_ "Forget it. Look the problem is that this is not the Houki that I know."

"So you're saying it's an imposter or something?"

"How would that even be possible Dan? Stop watching so many sci-fi movies, they're rotting your brain."

"Bro we have chicks flying robots nowadays. Anything is possible."

"...That's true I suppose," grumbled Ichika, helping himself to another mouthful of ice cream. "But still, I was practically by her side the whole time. I think I would've noticed if an imposter slipped in." Ichika began to reach for another scoop when he suddenly heard the squeak of a turned faucet followed by a deathly silence. _Oh crap! Time's up!_

"Dan! Help me! Houki just finished her shower, what do I do now?!"

"..."

"Dan?" Ichika whispered, his face now as pale as a ghost.

"Sorry my nose started bleeding for some reason." Ichika gritted his teeth, trying his hardest not to throw his phone across the room. "Anyways, why don't you just pretend to be asleep? She probably won't bother you anymore if she thinks you're out cold."

Ichika thought about Dan's suggestion for a moment, entertaining its plausibility for a split second before the horrific image of being striped naked and tied up in his own bed flashed in his head.

"No...no that's a very bad idea you idiot!"

"Hey I'm only trying to help."

"Ugh! Forget it I have to go now. Pray for me Dan."

"Why the hell would I do that? You're the luckiest bastard I know! And furthermore-" Ichika instinctively tossed his phone out the window upon hearing the sound of a door knob turning. _Crap! What do I do now?! _Unable to come up with a better solution to the problem at hand, Ichika jumped into his bed and threw on the covers; making sure his back was facing away from where Houki would emerge. He shut his eyes tightly as the pitter patter of water lightly dripping onto the floor became more and more audible. Soon, Ichika could feel Houki's towering form standing over him; the sweet, saccharine scent of her shampoo wafting throughout the room and invading the poor boy's nostrils. Fighting off the urge to scrunch his nose, Ichika realized that his heart was racing; thumping erratically as he struggled to contain his composure.

"Ichika-kun~"

_Oh god oh god oh god!_

"Ichika-kun I'm disappointed," cooed Houki right in Ichika's ear. "That is the worst display of fake sleeping I've ever seen. Try breathing a little slower next time silly." Ichika nearly rocketed to the ceiling when he felt the sensation of nibbling on his ear.

"Gah! What the hell do you think you're doing Houki! This is really inappr...inap...uh..." _Why oh why did I open my_ eyes? Indeed the sight that greeted Ichika would be the envy of every hot-blooded, hormonally-fueled, 15 year old male in the history of man's existence. Houki's hair was still glistening wet from her shower, billowing beneath her back like strands of delicate black rope. This contrasted rather nicely with the dangerously small white towel currently struggling to cling to her voluptuous figure.

"Oh Ichika-kun please stop staring at me so lecherously," giggled Houki as she began to inch closer to the frightened boy. "You'll have to take responsibility for that you know."

"T-take responsibility for w-what?" croaked Ichika as he backed up toward the door. _Almost there..._

"For being a pervert of course."

_Just a few more steps..._

"D-define pervert." Ichika could feel the wooden door frame in the grasp of his fingers. He silently breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well, a pervert is someone who takes liberties with a young, innocent girl; forcing her onto his bed and doing very lewd things to her without her consent. He then runs away, leaving the poor girl psychologically scarred for life."

Ichika stopped dead in his tracks. _No...she wouldn't...would she?_

As if reading his mind, Houki simply smiled. "Oh yes I would Ichika-kun. I've become quite good friends with Mayuzumi-san you know."

_That damn school newspaper is worse than the paparazzi! _Ichika eyed his roommate warily. "What do you want?"

"_You_ silly."

"Eh?"

Houki sat down on Ichika's bed, causing her towel to unravel and reveal the sight of her tempting cleavage. "Come here Ichika-kun," she whispered, patting the empty spot next to her. Ichika remained motionless, unsure of what to do. Houki, on the other hand, took the initiative as her eyes narrowed dangeorusly for a split second. "If you don't, I'll call Mayuzumi-san right now and tell her all about your perverted and lecherous ways." She sighed dreamily. "I can see it now, the headline for the next edition of the IS Academy school newspaper-"_Ichika no ecchi_".

"I don't have a choice do I?" moped Ichika, shoulders slumped heavily. _Hmm...I might have an idea.__  
_

"Nope!"

"Well...alright then I guess. But only because you're my first childhood friend okay?" Ichika winced at Houki's squeal of a response.

"Yay! I promise you won't regret it Ichika-kun~!" Houki's lips curved dangerously upwards. "I'll make sure you feel _really_ good."

"Uh...that sounds great!" Ichika moved forward cautiously, his eyes darting to the wooden shinai sticking out of Houki's bag. "Say Houki, isn't that the most er...romantic full moon you've ever seen?"

Ichika quickly snatched the practice sword before hiding it behind his back and shuffling closer to his childhood friend.

"Wow! It sure is beautiful isn't it?" gushed Houki as she stared out the window. "Surely the perfect setting for tonight don't you agree Ichika-kun~?" Something about the way Houki said that didn't quite sit right with the teen but he shook his head free of those unwanted distractions and raised the shinai over his head, ready to strike against his unsuspecting opponent.

"Ichika-kun didn't you hear me? I said-OOH!" Houki suddenly turned around and noticed Ichika's stance. An evil gleam twinkled in her eye as she smiled innocently. Ichika stood frozen in place as he tried to comprehend her unexpected reaction. "You sure are a naughty boy aren't you Ichika? My, my! I don't know if I'm ready for toys just quite yet. Wouldn't that hurt? Oh but I'll do it if it pleases you Ichika-kun. I'll do _anything_ for-OOF!"

"Sorry about that Houki, but I think it's time we both got some rest," muttered Ichika as he put the dented shinai away. Ichika carefully laid down Houki onto the bed before covering her up with a blanket. Ichika walked over and sat at the edge of the other bed, sighing heavily as he looked over at his sleeping friend.

_Since when did you turn into Tatenashi-san Houki?_

Ichika stole one last glance before laying his head down and closing his eyes, ready to drift off into slumber.

"I-Ichika..."

The sound of Houki's soft voice immediately jolted him upright, his mind already processing different escape scenarios.

"Ichika you idiot don't peep in the girl's bathroom...Zzzzzz.."

_Ah so she was only dreaming._ Ichika chuckled before going back to bed, wondering if this whole situation would resolve itself with a good night's rest. _I doubt it. I really doubt it. What am I going to do with you Houki?_

And with those thoughts in mind, the raven-haired boy turned over and succumbed to the land of dreams, where unbeknownst to him, a similarly lust-crazed Houki would be chasing him around in various settings until he woke up early the next morning.

* * *

**A/n: Sorry for the long delay everyone! I've been busy with some things and haven't really had a chance to update. This chapter ended up being a little shorter than I wanted to (thanks a lot writer's block!) but hopefully things will start to get rolling once more characters are involved. As always thanks for reading!**


	4. Classroom Shenanigans

**~Classroom Shenanigans~**

* * *

"So Orimura, what's your excuse today?"

Ichika rubbed his now-sore head with his free hand as he tried to explain the awkward situation he had found himself that particular morning.

"Well you see Chifuyu-nee...I mean Orimura-sensei! Houki here had a little trouble getting up and so I had to drag her to class," Ichika motioned over to the half-asleep figure whose arms were slumped around his shoulder. "I'm not saying she's heavy or anything like that, but...well..." Ichika coughed as he tried to convey the meaning of his words to the demonic visage of his older sister.

"Is that so? And what exactly were you two up to last night? You look pretty beat yourself Orimura." Chifuyu's sneering remarks elicited a mild uproar in Class 1-1, though she promptly quashed it with a sharp glare. Ichika, however, was too tired to even attempt to humor his older sister's sarcastic remark.

"Sleeping...or at least trying to sleep. I had a lot on my mind last night okay?"

"Wait just one second there!" A blonde, lavishly accented girl stood up from her seat. "I, Cecilia Alcott, demand to know what Shinonono-san was doing in Ichika's room!" Ichika sighed. _It's all downhill from here.__  
_

"What's it to you Alcott? Do you want to share a room with Orimura too?" Chifuyu grinned, clearly getting a kick out of teasing her teenage students. The United Kingdom Representative Candidate immediately plopped back down and buried her face in her hands, squeaking out an unintelligible response.

"You're going to have to speak louder Alcott, I can't hear you. Ah well, back to the matter at hand..." Before Chifuyu could turn her attention back to Ichika and his sleepy companion, a lone hand went up amidst the crowd.

"Excuse me Orimura-sensei?"

"What is it Dunois?"

"I would like to expand upon Cecila's question and ask how Houki got dressed this morning. If I remember correctly, she was still recovering in the infirmary last night and did not seem to be in any condition to walk, let alone dress herself." Ichika groaned, recognizing the all-too familiar facade that Charlotte Dunois, the IS Representative Candidate from France, had on her petite face. Her radiant smile was noticed by everyone in the class, yet only Ichika could see the violent intent in her violet-tinted eyes. Chifuyu seemed to take great pleasure from Charlotte's inquiry, nodding her head as if deep in thought.

"Yes, yes, these are excellent observations Dunois. Do tell us Orimura. How exactly did Shinonono get her uniform on? And don't tell me she sleeps in it because no sane person alive would sleep in those things." It was true. Although the academy uniforms were fashionably reasonable and fully customizable, they were no doubt extremely uncomfortable. Ichika chuckled dryly. _Carbon fiber should be reserved for cars and IS units only._

"What is so funny Orimura?"

Ichika gulped.

"N-nothing Orimura-sensei."

"Well then? Answer the question. We're waiting."

"Um well it's pretty simple really..." Ichika paused briefly as he noticed the myriad of expectant eyes engulfing him. "I asked this girl I saw in the hallway if she would help Houki change and she agreed." This anticlimactic answer was not one the students were expecting as they simultaneously dropped to the floor like flies. Not one to be deterred, however, Chifuyu simply shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't believe you."

"W-what?"

"You heard me. I have my own suspicions on what really happened, but let's do a little class exercise shall we?" Chifuyu turned and pointed to a silver-haired girl who appeared to be listening intently to her every word.

"Bodewig!"

"Yes Instructor?!" She immediately stood up and saluted at Chifuyu, drawing exasperated sighs from everyone in the room. The German Representative Candidate shot back at her classmates with a steely look, the fervor of her determination evident in her lone, non-eyepatched crimson eye. _  
_

"What do you think Orimura and Shinonono did last night?"

The whole class held their breath in anticipation of Laura Bodewig's response.

"It is obvious is it not? This...hussy and my wife had sexual intercourse." Overzealous female shrieks erupted within the classroom as the girls stared at Ichika with horrifying expressions. The boy in question simply shook his head, trying to plead his innocence.

"No! Wait a minute here, I did no such thing!"

"Really? Then why are you blushing?" chuckled Chifuyu as she pointed at her brother's beet-red face. Ichika tried to stammer out a response, but was promptly cut off by Laura.

"I am disappointed in you Ichika." Ichika felt a shiver crawl down his spine at the sound of her stoic voice. "You are my wife and yet you have the audacity to betray me like this?" Laura walked up to Ichika and made a motion to slap him before being stopped by Chifuyu.

"I-instructor? This is a matter between husband and wife!"

"You are not my sister-in-law," Chifuyu said sternly, causing Laura to hang her head down and whimper. "And the only person who is allowed to inflict pain and punishment in this classroom is me, got it?"

"Y-yes Instructor."

"Good. Now go back to your seat Bodewig before I make you run laps around the campus."

As the sad German shuffled away, Chifuyu swept her gaze around the classroom, effectively silencing the lot. "Alright I think that's enough shenanigans for today. Orimura get to your seat! You too Shinonono!"

Ichika nodded an affirmative before trying to rouse the still-groggy Houki.

"Come on Houki time to start class."

"..."

With no response forthcoming, Ichika began poking her cheek, hoping the physical contact would stimulate her senses and wake her up fully.

"Eh? Ichika don't poke me with that thing you idiot," mumbled Houki rather loudly as she nuzzled her face against Ichika's shoulder. This latest statement sent the classroom into an all-out frenzy and even the normally calm Chifuyu seemed taken aback by it.

"No fair Orimura-kun! Why does Houki get to have all the fun?" shouted a voice from somewhere in the classroom.

"Yeah! We want our turn with you too!" screamed another.

"Orimura-kun I want to have your babies!"

A loud _thud!_ immediately quieted the storm of students as they looked over to see both Ichika and Houki lying on the floor in a daze.

"Ugh...yeah I think I might have a concussion," muttered Ichika as he stared blankly at the ceiling.

"W-wha? Where am I?" Houki sat up and rubbed her head before noticing the deathly stare of the Class 1-1 instructor.

"Go to your seat Shinonono. And don't make me repeat myself."

Houki blinked. "Where's Ichika?"

"Right here," said Ichika meekly as he got up and dusted himself off. "Come on let's hurry before my sister hits us again." He smiled and extended his hand to Houki who accepted his offer gratefully.

"Oh? What a gentleman you are Ichika," she giggled, brushing a hand on his shoulder and then walking off to her seat. Ichika scratched his head in confusion and shrugged before taking his own seat near the front of the class. Despite having his back turned to the rest of the class body, Ichika could feel the weight of everyone's eyes bearing down upon him like a ferocious grizzly bear. It made him uncomfortable, to say the least, but he had gotten used to it by now.

"Well alright then," said Chifuyu, clearing her throat. "I suppose we can get started then. Miss Yamada?" She turned expectantly to her assistant homeroom instructor who was curiously fanning herself with a tinge of redness evident on her cheeks.

"O-oh right!" Maya shook her head and announced the schedule for that day's class. "This morning we're going to be going over some basic teamwork principles in tag-team style IS battles." Fumbling around in her pocket, Maya pulled out a remote-like device and pressed a button, triggering a holoprojector screen that depicted various notes and references on the day's topic.

"Now you may think that teaming up takes away some of the pressure of fighting, but it actually makes things more complicated as you have to be aware of your partner's tendencies and be able to adjust accordingly. Now does anyone have any questions before we get into more details?" The green-haired sensei surveyed the classroom, hoping that her students were able to grasp her words effectively.

"I have a question Yamada-sensei!"

Maya beamed. "Yes Houki-san?"

"Will you be going over the psychological aspects of teamwork and how intimate bonding plays a part in a successful partnership?" Houki smiled, locking eyes with Ichika who had looked over at her for posing such an unusual question. Maya, meanwhile, was at a loss for words.

"U-uh...w-well...I..." Maya turned to her senior instructor for advice, but Chifuyu simply shrugged her shoulders.

"C-could you clarify that Houki-san?"

"Of course! I'm speaking in the context of teaming with Ichika!" Houki paused, waiting for Ichika's choking fit to subside. "I feel that in order to strengthen our presence on the battlefield, we must forge a close bond when we aren't in combat." She put a finger up for emphasis. "For example, instead of simply holding study sessions together, we could bathe with each other, eat with each other, and sleep with each other! This would surely make us formidable foes in any tag-team situation!"

A familiar silence enveloped the classroom as Houki wrapped up her thoughts. Maya, who was now blushing furiously, tried to stammer out a response but could only muster out tiny "Uh's" and "Um's". Chifuyu had her eyes closed as she leaned against the doorway of the room; her arms crossed in a stern manner. The rest of the girls in the class had followed Maya's lead, with most of them looking away in embarrassment. Ichika, the man of the hour, had buried his head in his textbook with the realization that whatever strange illness Houki was afflicted with had not gone away with a simple night's sleep.

Finally it was Chifuyu who broke the unwavering quiet. "Alright you brats, why don't we take an early lunch break."

"L-lunch break at 9 o'clock in the morning Instructor?" squeaked Laura, raising her hand slowly.

"Yes. And no loitering in the classroom. I have some things to discuss with Miss Yamada." She detached herself from the lone exit. "Be back here in one hour sharp. If you're late, I'll hit you with Miss Yamada's copy of _Twilight_ and make you run laps. Dismissed!"

Ichika immediately made a beeline for the doorway but was stopped by an all too familiar grasp.

"Hey Ichika wanna have lunch with me on the roof? I made your favorite bento!"

Before he could answer, Ichika noticed three pairs of eyes immediately turn their attention to him.

_This is going to be a long day..._

* * *

**A/n: Whew! Finally cranked out another chapter, although I felt like it dragged at times honestly. Looks like Ichika's problems are only just beginning as the rest of his harem-crew start to learn about this new Houki. Will his denseness be able to keep him afloat in these stormy seas? Stay tuned!**


	5. Loss of Appetite

**~Losing Your Appetite~**

* * *

Maya fidgeted in her seat as she waited for Chifuyu to speak. Well technically it wasn't her seat as all of the teachers at the IS Academy were required to stand for the duration of class hours; rather she was sitting at the desk of one Ichika Orimura.

"Are you sure you didn't find anything from the data?"

The green-haired teacher shook her head no. "I must have gone over everything ten times over and not one anomaly was found." Chifuyu scowled, trying to wrap her head around the situation she was in. Maya, though still visibly flustered from that morning's events, was also worried about Houki's behavior in the wake of the accident.

"It just doesn't make any sense," sighed Chiifuyu, echoing her sentiments from the previous night. "Shinonono started acting strangely when she woke up last night so there must be some connection with the accident." Chifuyu suddenly chuckled, eliciting a puzzled look from her colleague. "Either that or she's got the most unusual case of PMS I've ever seen."

"O-Orimura sensei! This is serious!"

"I know, I know." Chifuyu snickered before adopting a sterner tone. "I think I'll have to give a certain someone a call later today."

"...You don't mean?"

"Yes," sighed Chifuyu as she rubbed her temples, not at all eager for the upcoming phone conversation. "If there's anyone who'd know about this issue, it'd be her. I wouldn't even be surprised if she's the one responsible for this mess."

"T-Tabane-sama..." Maya's voice trembled slightly.

"Yes," Chifuyu said, suddenly staring off into the distance blankly. "If Tabane is involved in this, then this is no laughing matter." She bit her lip, contemplating the next best course of action. "Maya I want you to round up all of the other teachers and have them meet me in the conference room in the faculty building. Looks like this private conversation just turned into a conference call. Oh and have Sarashiki send out an announcement that all classes for the rest of the day are hereby cancelled."

"Y-yes right away Orimura-sensei!" Maya nodded her head vigorously. Chifuyu hummed with satisfaction as she plotted how to deal with the enigmatic creator of the IS. Before getting too enraptured in her thoughts, however, Chifuyu noticed that Maya had not budged an inch from her seat.

"Eh? Maya stop daydreaming about my little brother and get to work!"

"W-what?! I-I'm not doing any such thing!" Maya frantically screamed as she jumped up and down with a noticeably crimson face. "B-but I'll just go now!"

Chifuyu laughed as she watched Maya scamper off, holding the hem of her dress like an awkward schoolgirl. _Maya should know better than to come between sister and brother. I'll have to punish her with a ten hour training session later._

* * *

"So Ichika-kun are you going to eat? I'll feed you if you want, I don't mind!"

Ichika groaned as he waved off the offer from his abnormally-acting friend. Not only was the poor boy not hungry, but any trace of an appetite was long gone with the way the rest of the girls were glaring at him. Making matters worse was the fact that Houki had unilaterally invited herself onto Ichika's arm, latching onto it like a baby would a nipple.

"Ichika-san," said Cecilia, trying her hardest to keep a steady voice. "Would you mind explaining to us what is going on here?"

Ichika scratched his head with his free arm. "Well I'm not sure, but I guess Chifuyu-nee had something important to discuss with Yamada-sensei. That's probably why we had this early lunch break. Maybe we'll have some training later-"

"I don't think that's what she meant Ichika," interrupted Charlotte. But before she could offer her own twist on Cecilia's words, the headstrong Laura made her presence felt.

"You bastard! Not only did you cheat on me, but you also forced Instructor to cancel classes because of your lack of sexual etiquette!" Ichika, Cecilia, and Charlotte looked at the German girl strangely, while Houki simply smiled and continued to nuzzle against Ichika's arm.

"Laura-san a proper lady should not be using such vulgarities!"

Laura eyed the British representative sharply. "I am only stating the facts Cecilia. My wife has gotten one thing right today and that is the fact that Instructor and fake-Instructor are discussing a very pressing matter in private."

"But what could that be Laura?" Charlotte asked, her irritation towards Ichika momentarily forgotten.

"Simple really," said Laura as she closed her eye. "They are discussing what to do about Houki's maternity leave."

Everyone besides Houki stared at Laura in shock, though their gazes would soon be turned to a different target.

"Mm...oh it will be troublesome won't it? Having to juggle a baby and schoolwork at the same time sounds really tough, but I know I'll manage with Ichika-kun's help!" sighed Houki dreamily.

"Eh! Wait what?" Ichika was extremely confused at the sudden turn in this conversation. "How do you guys know that Houki is having a baby? And secondly, isn't she way too young to be a parent anyway?" Cecilia and Charlotte sighed, but Laura was not one to be deterred.

"How irresponsible. I am truly disappointed in you wife." She cleared her throat to silence Ichika's rebuttal. "Now I am going to have to educate you on such matters so that you do not repeat the same mistake again in nine months. You see-mmph!"

"WAIT A MINUTE!" screamed Charlotte as she struggled to cover her roommate's mouth with her hands. "This is lunch time, not sex-ed Laura!"

Cecilia nodded her head in agreement. "Most unbecoming Laura-san. Most unbecoming of a woman indeed."

"Wait a minute what mistake was I making in the first place?" The quizzical expression on Ichika's face was replaced with a stern, stoic look, reminding the girls of his sister's fierce countenance. Charlotte and Laura stopped their squabbling and looked at each other for a moment before shyly turning away. Cecilia had her head cast downwards as well.

"Come on tell me. If I've made a mistake then I've gotta fix it." The girls eyed him warily, shaking their heads and sighing. Houki, however, simply giggled and patted Ichika on the cheek.

"Don't worry Ichika-kun. The only mistake you made was stealing my heart, my body, and my soul last night."

"Eh? What does that mean?" Houki continued to giggle and tightened her grip on Ichika's arm, while the rest of Ichika's friends looked on; their faces red with envy and embarrassment.

"Ichika-san...have you always been a womanizer?"

"What?"

"Ichika, as my wife you are only allowed to engage in those type of activities with me, your husband."

"Pardon?"

"Ichika no ecchi."

"No! I'm not a pervert!" Realization dawned on Ichika as he finally understand the implications of the situation he was in. He quickly shoved Houki off, much to her surprise, and scurried back from the group. "Wait a minute! I already told you guys I didn't do anything indecent! Don't tell me you don't believe me!"

"Ooh Ichika-kun you know me so well." Houki bit her lip and smiled mischeieveiously "You know I like being roughed up a bit don't you?"

"Shut up! You should be backing me up here and telling them that nothing happened last night!"

"I wouldn't mind Ichika-san having his way with me," whispered Cecilia with dreamy eyes.

"I wonder if Ichika would want me to dress up as a sexy French maid before our first time," said Charlotte with an equally wistful expression.

"My wife and I would undoubtedly create genetically superior offspring." said Laura, blushing slightly.

Ichika shook his head at the fantasizing girls. _  
_

"Hey! Are you guys listening to me? YOU GUYS!" Ichika shouted at the top of his lungs, causing the birds roosting nearby to scatter like dust in the wind. Ichika took a moment to catch his breath, surprised to find that his simplistic approach had worked. All of the girls stared at him curiously, waiting for his next words.

"I...am a man." Ichika spoke softly but sternly.

"And what a fine man you are," whistled Houki eyeing Ichika up and down as if he were a piece of meat. This drew pointed glares from the rest of the girls, but before another word could be said, a loudspeaker blared over the school intercom.

_"ATTENTION STUDENTS! THIS IS YOUR STUDENT COUNCIL PRESIDENT TATENASHI SARASHIKI SPEAKING. I HAVE JUST BEEN INFORMED THAT ALL CLASSES FOR THE REST OF THE DAY HAVE BEEN CANCELLED. THAT IS ALL."_

Ichika blinked. "Well I guess-"

"_OH AND WILL ICHIKA ORIMURA PLEASE REPORT TO THE STUDENT COUNCIL OFFICE SOMETIME TODAY. MEOW...I MEAN THAT IS ALL!"_

"That's strange. I wonder what Tatenashi-san wants? What do you guys think?" Ichika turned to look at his friends, but was confronted with several stoic and blank stares.

"You're the Vice President of the Student Council Ichika," said Charlotte with a pout. "I bet you have lots of fun with Tatenashi-senpai."

"Oh right, I almost forgot. Trust me though, it's not fun. There's tons of paperwork and they've always got me running errands." Ichika sighed, feeling exhausted just thinking about it. "I'm actually a little hungry now. Say Houki do you still have that bento? I could really use some-WHAT THE HELL?!" The raven-haired boy was greeted with the sight of Houki's face literally inches away from his. Her eyes were closed and a faint blush dusted her cheeks. To the casual observer, it might've looked like an innocent attempt at a kiss, but Ichika and the rest of the girls in close proximity saw _it_. An inconspicuous piece of fried chicken rested between the slightly parted lips of Houki; the intent of her daring action evident to everyone around her. Ichika had encountered this predicament before, back on his birthday when everyone took turns trying to serve him. He looked directly at Charlotte as he thought of this , remember backing to when she had dressed up in an extremely revealing french poodle outfit and attempted to feed him a cookie by mouth. Charlotte herself noticed Ichika's accusing gaze and turned away hastily. Cecilia and Laura, however, wasted no time in pulling back Houki before things could escalate.

"Hey what's the big idea?" Houki spat, glaring daggers at her two rivals. "Ichika-kun said he was hungry and I was going to feed him!"

"Houki-san! What's gotten into you?"

"Stop trying to steal my wife you homewrecker!" Dismayed, Ichika could only watch on helplessly as his three friends struggled against each other.

"Um Ichika?"

"Oh hey Charl." Ichika said absentmindedly, his attention focused elsewhere.

Charlotte blushed at the use of her special nickname. "Maybe you should go see Tatenashi-senpai. Perhaps she knows why Houki is acting so strangely."

It took a few seconds for Ichika to process her words, but once Houki had partially deployed her IS, he immediately called for an end to the fighting.

"You guys can stop arguing now! I'm gonna go to the Student Council Office and figure out what's wrong with Houki!"

"See? I told you guys Ichika cares about me the most!" beamed Houki as she dematerialized her IS blade. "He's so thoughtful and handsome and handsome..."

"Unacceptable!" Laura roared, shoving a daydreaming Houki to the floor. "My wife will not be fraternizing with more women!"

"Oh! Thanks for reminding me Laura!" said Ichika, snapping his fingers as if he had a sudden epiphany. "I was supposed to meet up with Rin after school to help her with a project or something. I guess I should touch base with her since school is over for today." The girls did not take this new development happily, voicing their displeasure rather loudly.

"Who cares about Rin and her nasty fang tooth? I thought you cared about me and only me," pleaded Houki with a sad pout.

"Ichika you have to go to Tatenashi-senpai's office remember?" Charlotte pointed out.

Ichika nodded his head as he tried to figure out the best course of action. _If I meet up with Rin now, maybe she'll be able to help control Houki in case she tries anything too extreme. On the other hand, she might just make things a lot worse with how competitive she gets. Tatenashi-san would certainly be able to help out seeing as she's the strongest student in the Academy, but who knows what ulterior motives she has hidden up her sleeve? I can't ignore her though, that'd be asking for a slow, painful death. What do I do?_

"Well?"

The girls stared at him expectantly, waiting for his response.

* * *

**A/n: Whew this chapter took a while to write, mainly because I was trying to figure out how to best end it in the way I wanted it to. Speaking of which, I'm going to make this story a little more interactive and so I'll let you guys give your input on whether Ichika should find Rin first or just go straight to Tatenashi's office. As always thanks for reading!**


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